Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 89: Against the Sun

That night, Shi Jingzhi could hardly fall asleep.

Twin Rivers was dry and cold, and the inn was old. As soon as the door was closed, the windows rattled in the cold wind. The smell of dry straw and mud filled Shi Jingzhi’s nose, and the old blanket on his body felt heavy. He straightened his body, feeling as if he was about to be buried in the ground.

Yin Ci was lying quietly with his back to Shi Jingzhi, breathing evenly. The scene was no different from the previous days, but Shi Jingzhi felt as if there was a hot iron pressed against his body, making him uncomfortable no matter how he lay. With the bed given to the sick, the room was too small. Even if Shi Jingzhi slept upright, they couldn’t avoid touching each other. Yin Ci’s long hair seemed like a nuisance, but Shi Jingzhi didn’t dare touch it, wishing he could tie it up quietly.

Shi Zhongyu had left, and Shen Zhu was sleeping in the next room. The four members of the Kushan Sect were crammed into one room, so it made Shi Jingzhi feel guilty if he were to move out alone. He had thought everything was ready and just needed the right opportunity, but now that the opportunity had come, he had created a storm of troubles.

Sect Master Shi tossed and turned like a pancake, with half of his mind on the business at hand and the other half wandering. He wondered what the great Hundred-Year Project of the Imperial Preceptor was, and then he thought about what Yin Ci had experienced before he rescued him as the Little Mute.

Thinking about this, Shi Jingzhi didn’t even want to continue the cooperation. He just wanted Yin Ci to stand behind him safely, returning to the mysterious hermit he had always been, never to touch blood again. When he was three years old, it was fine, but now, when he thought of the madness of Yin Ci in the maple forest, Shi Jingzhi no longer thought of him as a formidable immortal but felt a heartache instead.

Shi Jingzhi’s emotions were more intense than ordinary people. After several hours, he still felt a tingling heat behind his head. He stared at the slight movements of Yin Ci’s body and felt an unnamed depression—

Seeing his embarrassing state, Yin Ci didn’t react at all, and Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but suppress his emotions. Otherwise, he might turn into a pancake in the middle of the night.

Although he was good at suppressing desires, he wasn’t good at handling admiration.

In the end, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t bear it any longer, got up, and went to the courtyard to admire the moon. The moon was hidden by dark clouds, so he admired the clouds instead, which was fine.

The population of Twin Rivers wasn’t dense, and there were no idle people wandering around at midnight. The courtyard was as quiet as Shi Jingzhi had expected.

As soon as he calmed down, he ran into Shen Zhu in the courtyard.

The sparrow demons attracted attention during the day, so she had to take care of them at night. Shen Zhu was busy feeding those lively sparrows. At night, the sparrows were drowsy and ate sleepily, staggering around as if the millet was soaked in wine before she fed them.

Seeing Shi Jingzhi come out, Shen Zhu nodded to him and said casually, “My Lord.”

Shi Jingzhi greeted her weakly, “Shen Zhu.”

Shen Zhu wasn’t Shi Jingzhi’s die-hard loyalist, and although there was still a difference in status, her attitude toward Shi Jingzhi wasn’t the usual “loyalty”. No one else was around, and her attitude was quite casual. “Regarding Yin Ci, I couldn’t find the truth. Please forgive me… He conceals his past very skillfully. If you can, could you tell me about his origins?”

She seemed to have a magical ability to always bring up sensitive topics.

Shi Jingzhi snorted ambiguously. “That’s his private matter, and I’m not going to say… Anyway, don’t mind. It’s not a matter of your abilities.”

Yin Ci was an old slicker who had lived for hundreds of years, while Shen Zhu was in her twenties. If she could easily find out about Yin Ci’s background, Yin Ci would have been captured by the Immortal Assembly as a rare and strange beast long ago.

Indeed, Shen Zhu didn’t really care about Yin Ci. She casually sprinkled some millet into the mud, saying, “It’s a pity. I delayed a few days specifically, but I missed the chance to meet Senior Chen.”

“I’ve heard some clues about the things you want to know,” Shi Jingzhi said. “The phenomenon you discovered, Senior Chen also noticed, and he called it ‘Heaven’s Displeasure’.”

Shen Zhu let out a cold snort, showing disgust at those two words. She lowered her gaze and said, “My Lord, you are considerate.”

Shi Jingzhi looked at her for a while, appearing a bit downcast, then he forced himself to perk up and asked, “Miss Shen has been investigating the Immortal Assembly for a long time. Have you found any information related to the ‘Hundred-Year Project’ or the ‘Children of Desire’?”

“I haven’t, but on this trip to the Ling Sect, I have other matters to investigate. Since your disciple already knows…”

“Since I know what?”

A gentle voice interrupted them.

Shi Jingzhi looked at her for a while, feeling somewhat guilty for no reason. He had never realized that being alive could be so thrilling and exciting. He felt a small explosion within himself, and the hairs on his arms stood up. “A’Ci, you’re awake?”

Yin Ci’s gaze flickered, and he firmly ignored the question. Leaning against the door panel, he asked directly, “What’s the ‘Hundred-Year Project,’ and what are the ‘Children of Desire’? We’ve been cooperating now, but you haven’t told me about them.”

Judging from his tone, Yin Ci seemed to have returned to his casual and carefree demeanor. If he didn’t stare at Shen Zhu so cautiously, he would look even more like his old self.

Shi Jingzhi understood his hidden meaning and quickly spoke. “Miss Shen and I share the same interests, so she can be trusted.”

Then he heaved a sigh and gave a brief introduction to his subordinate.

Shen Zhu had deep-seated animosity towards the Immortal Assembly, but when Shi Jingzhi approached her, it had nothing to do with her personal feelings. He saw a strong determination in her—a reliable assistant with a clear purpose was much better than a foolish person obsessed with fame and fortune.

Similar to the Taiheng Sect, the Yueshui Pavilion had backing from the imperial court, and its branch halls were spread throughout Great Yun.

It was divided into three departments: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, and it didn’t solely focus on collecting information in the martial world. The “Humanity Department” was responsible for investigating martial arts anecdotes and folk stories, as well as observing public sentiment. They were also willing to take on investigative tasks for others. The “Earth Department” collected agricultural and weaving techniques and searched for new crops, livestock, and even mineral deposits. The “Heaven Department” had the fewest members, and they were all dreamers and eccentrics. Regardless of whether unsolved mysteries had any practical significance, they would explore them.

Although the “Heaven Department” occasionally made earth-shattering discoveries, ninety percent of its members usually achieved nothing in their lifetimes. They had to travel to the most dangerous places, enduring hardships that ordinary people wouldn’t bear. In addition to having the highest authority to access information in the Yueshui Pavilion, the “Heaven Department” was the most thankless department, and its entrance requirements were extremely high.

Shen Zhu was one of the members of the “Heaven Department”. Being able to enter the lofty “Heaven Department” as a woman meant she had an extraordinary dedication that might even get her a painful beating from the Sword of Compassion.

Yin Ci mumbled, “Interesting.”

Along the way, he hadn’t seen such a fuel-efficient lamp* around the Kushan Sect.

*Metaphor referring to someone who’s easy to deal with.

Shen Zhu was quick-witted. Seeing that Yin Ci didn’t react like an ordinary person would, she changed her tone, dropping the nonchalant attitude she had when they first met and becoming more sincere. “I’ve been investigating the Immortal Assembly for a long time, and I inevitably followed some suspicious clues. When the Sect Master wants to find the method of immortality, we split into two groups. I provide him with stories around immorality, and he gives me tales of immortals and Buddhas. We each get what we need.”

Yin Ci understood.

Shi Jingzhi didn’t intend to hide anything anymore. He wanted to share all the information with Yin Ci. Investigating the flesh idol just happened to overlap subtly with what Shen Zhu was looking into. Perhaps they could find some useful clues. After all, in the eyes of mortals, the members of the Immortal Assembly were no different from half-immortals, and they were closely related to legends of immortals.

The Immortal Assembly was both an event held every ten years in Yidu and the managing organization of imperial shrines across various regions. On the surface, every ten years, it would invite a group of talented people or supernatural beings to join, offer immortal wine to win their hearts, and hold fake ceremonies and festivals. In recent decades, the Imperial Preceptor line had lost the emperor’s favor, and the Immortal Assembly no longer held grand ceremonies, reflecting their current lowly status*.

*Behave oneself by tucking one’s tail between one’s legs (夹紧尾巴做人) Idiom referring to being timid or submissive, often in the face of authority or adversity, often to avoid attracting attention or causing trouble.

Thus, Yin Ci had little interest and didn’t continue the investigation. As the leader of the Immortal Assembly, the Imperial Preceptor was still a mortal with a limited lifespan, and dying was inevitable and useless to him. Now, with the Goddess of Yuanxian Village in front and the flesh idol of the Imperial Celestial behind, with such huge secrets hidden in the Immortal Assembly, he needed to pick up this matter and investigate it thoroughly.

Shen Zhu wasn’t as simple as she seemed, so it was difficult to keep an eye on her. Yin Ci pondered for a moment and said, “The time and place are not suitable. Since the young lady wants to act with us, let’s find a quiet place, and you can explain everything in detail.”

…After speaking, Yin Ci felt a little uneasy in his heart.

In the past, he wouldn’t have cared if it was Shen Zhu or Shen Mo. Shi Jingzhi had chosen his own people, and Yin Ci couldn’t be bothered. If there were problems, he could just take Shi Jingzhi away. But now, he had developed an intense suspicion and was almost tempted to investigate Shen Zhu’s ancestry for three generations.

Shi Jingzhi couldn’t resist his feelings for the young bird, and his desires were not like those of an ordinary person. Yin Ci thought it was just a temporary infatuation. Shi Jingzhi was only three years old when his addiction was set, so it was impossible for his original desire to have anything to do with romance. Now that there were life and death matters at hand, after this momentary infatuation passed, Shi Jingzhi would come to his senses.

So Yin Ci considered his own problem more complicated. He had always been a clever moth, seeking warmth without getting burned. But now, his wings had accidentally caught fire, and the smoke was making him a little dizzy.

However, he couldn’t just let it go.

Yin Ci had indeed been the leader of a demonic sect, but he still cared about his reputation. So he put on an air of composure and said, “We might have to hurry on our journey next, so it’s best to rest for now.”

“So, was it me who woke you up, A’Ci?” Shi Jingzhi’s eyes wandered on his face, asking with persistence and caution.

Yin Ci: “…” After discussing so many serious matters, this kid hadn’t forgotten about the neglected topic.

Yin Ci glanced at Shen Zhu beside him and said with a smile, “You couldn’t sleep, with all that tossing and turning. Does Shizun want to hear about it?”

Shi Jingzhi stood still, tongue-tied, and his whole face turned red, as if he had been steamed by the night.

“It’s just some trivial matter. Don’t take it to heart, Shizun.” Yin Ci added with a smile.

Since Shi Jingzhi had already made up his mind not to treat him as his son, there was no reason not to tease him. If he tried to cover it up, it would be more troublesome in the future. Shi Jingzhi’s control had just broken, and his emotions were unstable. By openly addressing the issue, the subtle feelings would naturally dissipate.

Having convinced himself of this, Yin Ci turned around leisurely, leaving Sect Master Shi with an innocent back.

Near Yidu.

Shi Zhongyu returned with injuries, almost exhausting the Arrow Horse by the time she arrived at the headquarters of the Taiheng Sect. When she returned, it was still dark.

The room of the sect leader was brightly lit, and Sect Master Qi was still lying sick in bed, his pale face now tinged with a deathly gray. He had a high fever, and his once robust body had shrunk to a mere skeleton.

Jin Lan held a bowl of life and death soup, and his eyes were swollen like peaches. He took on the most troublesome task, insisting on feeding the old man once every two hours, cleaning up his excrement and urine, and turning him over. The room was filled with the fragrance of refreshing incense, but it couldn’t overpower the foul smell of the dying patient.

Shi Zhongyu didn’t rest. She pursed her lips, looking at the empty room of the sect leader. After a moment, she briefly gave some instructions to Jin Lan and activated the disaster warding talisman with a breath.

A surging heat swept over her, and she felt as if she had fallen into a furnace. Half of the life and death soup went down her throat.

When she woke up again, it was already broad daylight, but she didn’t know how many days had passed. Shi Zhongyu raised her body in a daze, only to find herself not in her bedroom but in the main hall of the Taiheng Sect—the hall was spacious, elegantly decorated, and solemn. She had seen it countless times and was very familiar with it.

Now she was half-sitting in the center of the hall, her body covered in sweat, and the high fever had made her thoughts hazy.

Was it a dream? This situation would usually lead to disciplinary measures.

Shi Zhongyu looked around in confusion and saw familiar faces. The elders of Taiheng were all grave, and the young disciples stood with their heads down. Only Qu Duanyun looked at her, his gaze complex, with a faint trace of regret.

Only then did Shi Zhongyu raise her head. On the seat of the sect leader sat the emaciated Qu Xundao. He held the ugly looking disaster warding talisman in one hand, looking bitter and exhausted.

“Ridiculous.” The hall was silent for a moment before Qu Xundao sighed clearly.

The intense fever failed to cover the coldness behind Shi Zhongyu. She had thought of many possibilities, but none of them included such a serious punishment. Her wounds were still throbbing, and the strong smell of ointment was pungent, not like good medicine—she clearly didn’t receive the treatment she deserved.

“Regarding the catastrophe at the Jianchen Temple, I heard about it. The Kushan Sect is responsible for monopolizing the Shirou clues and causing the deaths of two eminent monks, Venerable Juefei and Venerable Juehui, leading to the sealing of the Jianchen Temple until now… Yesterday, an urgent secret letter arrived from the Mishan Sect, saying that you, in collaboration with the Kushan Sect, destroyed the Arcane Arts of the Mishan Sect. Not only that, you allowed the Kushan Sect to steal the core secrets of the artifact and killed Chen Qianfan and Wei Chun to silence them. Zhongyu, is this true?”

Shi Zhongyu opened her mouth but couldn’t speak. A servant nearby handed her half a cup of cold tea, and she strained her smoky throat to say, “…I don’t know who lifted the restriction on that Arcane Arts, but it suddenly attacked us. I had to fight back. As for Senior Chen and Granny Wei… are they dead? I have no knowledge of it!”

She endured the dizziness and continued firmly, “When Sect Master Shi went to seek medical treatment this time, he had no intention of obtaining the Arcane Arts. He got along very well with Senior Chen and is a person who knows gratitude and righteousness… He even willingly exchanged the map rubbings with me—he wouldn’t harm someone’s life over just a clue.”

“But did you see what happened in the end?” Qu Xundao smiled bitterly.

“This Disciple…” Shi Zhongyu was momentarily speechless. After the fierce battle over the Arcane Arts, she had almost lost consciousness and didn’t retain many memories. When she woke up, she was in Twin Rivers, and she didn’t know the whereabouts of Chen Qianfan and Wei Chun.

“The Mishan Sect also lost an elder who rushed to help, and I believe it wasn’t you who killed him. Recently, only you and the Kushan Sect visited us. Zhongyu, if you say you were deceived by the Kushan Sect, I can still protect you…”

For some reason, while saying this, Qu Xundao’s eyes held a trace of inexplicable sadness.

Shi Zhongyu supported her sore body and said slowly, “Master taught me that I should see things with my own eyes and think for myself. Before entering the Mishan Sect, Shi Jingzhi had a chance to leave me behind. If he had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t have done that.”

The Arcane Arts’ restrictions required a skilled person to unlock, Shi Zhongyu thought hazily. Chen Qianfan happened to be such a person. To pin the activation of the Arcane Arts on the Kushan Sect’s leader, she needed to say, “I discovered Shi Jingzhi’s sinister intentions, so Chen Qianfan activated the Arcane Arts to kill him.”

But she didn’t witness such a thing. She was an eyewitness—the only eyewitness not in the Kushan Sect. If she lied here to protect herself, the Kushan Sect would undoubtedly be blamed.

“I was not deceived by evildoers. The situation is not clear, and there is no evidence of guilt. I won’t fabricate lies.”

Qu Xundao fell silent for a long time. He had no expression, his breath weakened, and he seemed to have aged ten years and yet found some kind of relief.

“I am seriously ill, not due to demons or evil plots, but because my time has come. The sect is going through a turbulent period, yet you led people to forcefully extend my life, consuming a great deal of manpower and resources. You personally protected me from disasters, showing deep affection and loyalty, but in doing so, you went astray and allied with evil, causing the Taiheng Sect to lose its true essence.”

Qu Xundao’s dry eyes stared at Shi Zhongyu. “Zhongyu, do you have anything to say?”

Shi Zhongyu supported her weak body and half-knelt on the ground, keeping her back straight.

“This Disciple has no regrets.”

Qu Xundao glanced around; some disciples showed anger or sadness, but none dared to speak up. He sighed and continued, “As the Sect Master, considering your initial intention to protect your master, I will temporarily expel you from Taiheng, but your name will remain. If you want to step foot in this sect again, think it through carefully.”

Shi Zhongyu maintained her half-kneeling posture, resolutely keeping silent.

“As an ordinary person, it’s true that I owe you for being able to live a few more days. In my room, there’s a potted orchid; take it with you—oh, remember to change the pot. The pot belongs to Taiheng.”

As he spoke, Qu Xundao’s voice became increasingly soft, revealing a sense of loss or contemplation.

“Master…”

“Go quickly,” Qu Xundao said calmly. “I’m a dying man, and I can’t let my disciple waste her life without knowing what’s good for her. The storms have been relentless lately, and you’ve been burdened by my illness. Remember to wear more clothes.”

With Jin Lan’s support, Shi Zhongyu was led away from the main hall. As soon as she stepped on the first step of the stairs, the heat on her body suddenly disappeared. Shi Zhongyu stood still, feeling extremely hot just moments ago, but now she was extremely cold. The exhaustion, pain, and worries of the past few days all turned into a ridiculous pile of ashes. For the first time, she couldn’t straighten her back, and her whole body felt like it was drained, filled instead with the icy wind from the northern glaciers.

Once the disaster warding talisman was activated, it wouldn’t be easily destroyed. With the disaster warding effect gone, there was only one possibility left.

Qu Xundao chose to sever his own meridians and die.

Half an hour later, outside the gates of the Taiheng Sect.

“Senior Sister, don’t… don’t be too sad. The Sect Master didn’t completely expel you from Taiheng. Once this chaotic situation settles, you will definitely be able to come back.” Jin Lan sniffled and handed her the potted orchid—the only thing she could take away according to Qu Xundao’s instructions. With the recent loss of the Sect Master, there were countless affairs to handle within Taiheng, and except for Jin Lan, no one came to see her off.

Shi Zhongyu stretched out her hands, carefully inserted them into the flower pot, and took out the orchid along with the soil.

“I…” She was about to speak, but suddenly her heart skipped a beat.

At the bottom of the pot, she felt something hard and cold.

After pondering for a moment, Shi Zhongyu said, “Jin Lan, take the pot back for now. There’s a lot of internal affairs in the sect at the moment; don’t worry about me… I won’t be leaving far for now. We can meet again another day.”

Jin Lan walked away, looking back three times. His swollen eyes were getting worse, and there was no one around. Shi Zhongyu wrapped up the orchid and soil carefully, then quietly wiped off the cold and hard object with her sleeve—

In that instant of recognizing the object, her eyes welled up, and she almost bit her lips till they bled.

It was the Taiheng Yang Reversal* Token.

*See Kinky Thoughts.

The Taiheng Sect Master always carried the Yang Token, and the Yang Reversal Token was managed by the person next in line to the sect leader. The one who held the Yang Reversal Token could use it to command the Taiheng disciples when the sect leader acted immorally, to correct their actions, or…

Simply depose the Sect Master.

Qu Xundao had been in charge of the Taiheng Sect for decades, highly respected and esteemed. Out of respect, the holder of the token had long since returned it, leaving Qu Xundao as the sole custodian. The Taiheng Sect had been too stable for too long, and they had almost forgotten that such a thing existed.

The Sect Master… No, her master was insightful, she thought. Qu Xundao might have already seen through something, but he was extremely weak, surrounded by numerous people, and lacked the opportunity and time.

Seeing that the Jianchen Temple had been sealed for a long time and something strange had happened at the Mishan Sect, the Taiheng Sect had no choice but to change its sect leader at this moment.

A storm was brewing, and the long-lasting peace in the martial world of Great Yun for the past hundred years might not be maintained for much longer.

The author has something to say:

…I have to say that it seems like a lot of people died in this novel (… I didn’t mean it!

Kinky Thoughts:

In regard to cultivation and Chinese medicine, the title of this chapter refers to a state of the body where the yang energy (qi) is out of balance, usually characterized by symptoms of chills, cold limbs, or a lack of energy.

In the same tune, it is also referencing the (yang reversal) token Shi Zhongyu received, which is basically a reversal of yang (the sun) qi. In the context of this chapter, the Sect Master of Taiheng wore the yang token, so the name given to the yang reversal token is quite apt.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 88: Lanterns

Shi Jingzhi fell silent for a moment. He looked at Yin Ci with a confused expression, as if he hadn’t realized who the term “Your Highness” was referring to.

Then, he slightly widened his eyes.

Although it was still within fifteen days of the new year, several days had passed since New Year’s Eve, and there were no traces of fireworks in the sky. Yet, Yin Ci saw the man’s eyes gradually light up, as if he had captured a light that others couldn’t see.

Yin Ci patiently waited.

Twenty-four years had passed, and when they first met, they both had their own motives, almost competing to see who could take advantage of the other more—every move and thought were like a chess game, and their minds clashed like flashes of blades and shadows. Seeing their moves being countered and their tricks dismantled, it gave them an exhilarating feeling.

Now, they needed to consider each other, and even a simple probe required careful consideration.

“This matter is my private affair and has nothing to do with you.”

Shi Jingzhi finally opened his mouth, with a hint of warning in his tone.

“Royal secrets involve many people, and the Imperial Preceptor is focused on the way of the Immortal Path. The struggle for the Shirou alone is enough to create chaos in half the martial world. You have already taken risks for me. If your immortal body is exposed, it will only bring endless troubles.”

Yin Ci smiled. “When I posed as Su Zhi and competed secretly with Yan Budu, it was just one of many ‘troubles’. Your matter is nothing, and I won’t hesitate to do what’s needed.”

“And what about it?” Facing the man who was once his “immortal” idol, Shi Jingzhi showed no signs of excitement in his tone.

“What about what?”

“You may be immortal, but you’re not without emotions. Immortal beings can lose control and fall before their inner demons,” Shi Jingzhi said calmly. “If you think you owe me a favor or want to protect your Little Mute from back then, there’s no need to go to such lengths. Twenty-four years ago, you saved my life, and I protected your clarity of mind. We owe each other nothing.”

Yin Ci frowned; this was not the development he had expected.

Instead of taking the opportunity to move closer, Shi Jingzhi seemed to be unraveling and clarifying their past one by one with his words.

“To you, I may be just a brief encounter, fortunate to receive your mercy. You treated me carefully, forbidding me from hurting myself. But two days ago, you injured yourself deeply to save me. I am grateful… but even if you don’t see yourself as a human, I can no longer see you as an immortal either.”

Just like many years ago, Shi Jingzhi reached out and tidied up Yin Ci’s hair.

As a helping hand, was there a difference between a human and an immortal?

Since he desired to live so desperately, why not just accept help openly? Yin Ci didn’t understand Shi Jingzhi’s persistence.

But it seemed like Shi Jingzhi saw through his confusion. He stood up on the roof, smiling warmly. “I do want to live, and now that the enemy has appeared, I will give it my all. As for you, you will see what happens in the end.”

“When you think of me a hundred years from now, I don’t want words like ‘regret’ or ‘pain’ to be associated with it. You promised me a long life with no worries. Now that I am already without worries, you don’t need to dwell on the first part—if I were to fail, it would be because of my own actions.”

It has nothing to do with you, so you don’t need to blame yourself.

The night breeze was light, and Shi Jingzhi’s sleeves were gently blown. He looked at Yin Ci from top to bottom with a gentle gaze while the moonlight behind him glowed like a shimmering river.

“…Besides, if you insist on being an all-powerful immortal, with my heavy desire for life, I will inevitably resent you when I am dying. I detest such a way of dying.”

So, that’s it.

The maple forest in front of Yin Ci faded away, and the image of the smiling child slowly blurred. Shi Jingzhi dispelled the lingering illusions of the past and opened up honestly to him.

“Then, I won’t be your ‘immortal’,” Yin Ci said with a smile.

“Not as a disciple, not as an elder, not as an immortal, and not just for you alone—I will continue to investigate the matter of the flesh idol. I will follow your lead, and I can always find more clues.”

With a long sigh, Yin Ci also stood up and extended a hand. “Your Highness, are you willing to join forces with me?”

In an instant, Shi Jingzhi’s gaze softened.

He exhaled lightly, closed his eyes for a moment, and then smiled as he took the proffered hand. “I have a slight heart ailment, but I can manage. As we travel the rivers and lakes together, I hope you’ll bear with me a bit more.”

…It was a radiant smile that Yin Ci had never seen before.

For some reason, before that smile, Yin Ci felt a little inexplicably guilty—he had already activated the disaster warding talisman to protect Shi Jingzhi, and they had just become fair partners in their cooperation, so it probably didn’t violate any oaths.

Fortunately, Yin Ci wasn’t one to fret over trivial matters. He quickly suppressed his thoughts and considered this as the last memory of his “immortal” life, regardless of whether Shi Jingzhi could break through his facade.

“But this decision is not a small one. You can think it over for a while,” Shi Jingzhi said, unaware of his disciple’s thoughts. He pondered for a moment and then pointed to a street nearby, still brightly lit.

“How about this? Before we go back, let’s walk together down that street. If your thoughts haven’t changed by the end of it, I will accept without any regrets.”

Shi Jingzhi’s tone became much lighter, filled with anticipation and joy.

The Lantern Festival had not arrived yet, so Twin Rivers hadn’t held their festival. However, many shops were prepared in advance with lanterns at their doorways. The street was sparsely populated, but the warm lights were still on, and some business owners were resting at their doors, enjoying the festive atmosphere.

The master and disciple wore wooden Nuo masks and strolled leisurely side by side. Although the surroundings were simple, with shabby houses and dim firelight, they seemed to have stepped out of the bustling gathering into a carefree world.

Shi Jingzhi walked steadily, each step firm and full of strength. Yin Ci suddenly speculated that instead of leaving him time to regret, Shi Jingzhi seemed to be giving himself a chance to stabilize his emotions.

It was quite amusing.

Before this thought could fully form, Yin Ci stopped by himself. They had just agreed to cooperate, so why play tricks? It could be troublesome if Shi Jingzhi misunderstood his intentions.

However, old habits die hard, especially when it comes to teasing people. Yin Ci had to find another way and began recalling the innocent face of the Little Mute. But as he spaced out, he froze in place.

Shi Jingzhi suddenly turned his head, his face full of suspicion.

Yin Ci: “It has nothing to do with what happened earlier. I was just thinking… our relationship is quite deep, and I won’t play tricks on you anymore.”

“I thought A’Ci wouldn’t mind those trivial matters, but I didn’t expect you to be so concerned.”

Yin Ci clicked his tongue and dismissed the topic with a bit of resentment. “I can’t say I’m overly concerned; I just think about it occasionally.”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t know how to respond. Yin Ci acted nonchalant, but his face carried an undertone of “I used to hold you in my arms when you were young” and “elders should act like elders”.

This person was still bothered by those joking matters, indicating that his elder’s heart was still alive. Yin Ci had to erase the shadows of the past completely. Wasn’t that simple? At this moment, they knew each other well enough, so it was better to be open and frank, and this page could be turned.

With the Nuo mask hiding his expression, Shi Jingzhi mustered the courage to take the initiative and plan a counterplay.

At the end of the street, half was filled with flower lanterns and the other half with withered trees.

The wooden Nuo mask was rough and peeling off the oil paint, making half of the face beneath it look even more elegant and ethereal.

Yin Ci’s steps were steady. With his hair unbound, under the dim yellow light, his long hair gently swayed, exuding a soft radiance like still water. His complexion was pale, and his lips were slightly pale, with no visible flaws on his face, as if he were far removed from the bloody dust of the world.

However, he knew more about the taste of blood and gore than anyone else.

Shi Jingzhi had never scrutinized Yin Ci so carefully. He seemed even more attractive than Shi Jingzhi remembered. He had thought teasing him would be easy, but now that he took a closer look, he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

The boldness he had mustered seemed to melt away like sticky syrup. He hesitated for a moment and decided to escape the situation by giving Yin Ci a light kiss on the cheek… After all, when he fed Yin Ci the medicine in the Ghost Tomb, it wasn’t that difficult.

His gaze was fixed on Yin Ci’s pale lips; he felt as if he had swallowed a live rabbit, as his heart was beating wildly.

…Forget it, this matter had to be settled, and there was no reason to diminish his own imposing aura while bolstering the other’s pride. Shi Jingzhi adjusted his Nuo mask slightly, ignoring his inner turmoil, and launched a sudden attack.

He slightly turned his body and kissed the corner of Yin Ci’s lips before quickly pulling back.

He had originally intended to imitate his past self and kiss Yin Ci’s lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was just a light kiss, but he could feel sweat forming on his neck, and an inexplicable sweetness overwhelmed him.

It was as if it was the first time they had been this close.

Shi Jingzhi hurriedly suppressed his racing heart. He continued to walk as if he had a clear mind and casually said, “In this way, we’re even, and you don’t need to…”

Wait a minute, something’s not right. Shi Jingzhi suddenly had a feeling, and he turned his head to find that Yin Ci was no longer beside him.

Yin Ci stood there, somewhat dazed, without taking another step forward.

Behind him, a rough flower lantern was wrapped around a withered tree; its flame flickering, casting a hazy warm red light. Yin Ci was indeed wearing an ugly Nuo mask covering half his face, but the surprised expression on his face couldn’t be concealed.

It was as if Yin Ci had never expected such a scene. There was no sign of anger on his face; only shock as he looked at Shi Jingzhi, as if he had discovered a demon that was more extravagant than any Arcane Arts.

Shi Jingzhi had no choice but to stop in his tracks.

His mind was filled with all sorts of weird thoughts, and he almost couldn’t focus on the road. He suddenly thought that this person was the epitome of being overly sensitive, just like an official who forbids the common people from lighting lamps to prevent fires. At the same time, he realized that they seemed to have completely missed the opportunity to “dispel the awkwardness” and brought the awkwardness to a whole new level.

Amidst this jumble of thoughts, there was one fixed idea. In front of Yin Ci, he seemed to have completely forgotten how to act and play along.

On second thought, although Shi Jingzhi couldn’t control his own heartbeat, he wasn’t unfamiliar with romantic matters. After all, facing an immortal body, he should be more than capable of handling the situation with ease.

Shi Jingzhi looked at Yin Ci, and contrary to his usual self, he was openly showing his weakness—Great master, what’s wrong with you? Quickly resolve this issue.

However, Yin Ci didn’t respond.

If we were to measure the extent of heartache, Yin Ci was no less affected than Shi Jingzhi.

In their previous conversation, Shi Jingzhi wanted nothing more than to send him tens of thousands of miles away, feeling the urge to dig out his heart and lungs, and tally up the accounts of emotions. Just as Yin Ci had reluctantly placed this man in the category of “another powerful individual”, he was caught off guard by a sudden reversal, as if being struck by a boomerang.

Upon realizing this, his feet stopped on their own. Indeed, this trick was effective, Yin Ci thought. He no longer had time to think about the Little Mute.

However, he didn’t know if he had become too worldly or what, but for a moment, he felt ashamed of his own heart palpitations—the young boy’s innocent face appeared in his mind, along with recent memories of various moments. His emotions were left unattended and were shattered by this kiss, turning into a subtle tenderness.

The words “disrespect towards the elderly” shone even more brightly in his mind, filled with a strong sense of reproach.

Fortunately, it was just a momentary lapse, and he still had a chance to redeem himself.

Yin Ci looked up and met the bewildered eyes of Shi Jingzhi. Both of them were at a loss for what to do, as if they were about to accuse each other of not being able to successfully pretend to be clueless.

The two wooden chickens stood there at the street corner, letting the night breeze blow around them.

Regardless, they eventually finished walking down that street. Yin Ci thought, even if the process and the expected outcome were different, the result was the same—

At the very end, he could no longer play the role of this person’s “immortal”.

The author has something to say:

It’s getting twisted, it’s getting twisted.jpg

Cooperation is impossible, you are destined to be entangled indefinitely√

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